Why Every Writer Should Market Their Book on Good Reads

Good Reads is great stuff. Authors everywhere should be using this website to promote a released book or an upcoming book, but only a handful know about it, and even fewer see the benefit of it. If you know a freelancer, you need to put this article in their hands. It´s comprehensive, it´s informative and it will sell them on the benefits of this completely free service.
Everybody who is anybody in the literary world knows about Good Reads. So why don’t you?

What is Good Reads?

Good Reads is a virtual socializing tool designed to connect readers with authors and authors with other authors with a goal of getting everyone buzzing about books. Good Reads encourages user submitted book reviews, suggested reading lists, contest participation and much, much more. If you are an author or an aspiring author and you are not using this site, you are doing it all wrong. However, even with the accolades all over the place about this writer’s paradise, if you unsure how this new kid on the virtual social block can help, here are four compelling reasons to add Good Reads to your marketing repertoire.

1

Lots and Lots of Shameless Self Promotion
There isn’t an author alive who doesn’t love to brag about their latest book. And while this isn’t considered marketing in the most general sense of the word, marketing is exactly what it is. However, authors today are not just writers and braggers, authors today have to be expert marketers also. This is where Good Reads comes in.

Part of marketing a book or even is blog is knowing how to put your content in front of an audience likely to read it, and Good Reads knows this. Using their exclusive marketing tools, you can easily promote your content in a wide variety of ways. In fact, Good Reads even gives you the option of holding promotional offers and question and answer sessions about your book, to aid your marketing efforts.

If you are a smart marketer, you will use Good Reads to shamelessly promote your content once you have established (and gotten to know) your readers. After all, there is nothing cooler than being able to say you have chatted with the author of your current favorite book. And, let’s face it, a little shameless self-promotion never hurt anyone.

2

Interconnecting your Social Networks
Good Reads helps authors promote their ideas on Facebook, Pinterest and even Twitter, as well as on their site. However, you can take your marketing a step or two further by seeking out your Good Reads viewers on other social networks and interacting with them there, in addition to interacting with them on Good Reads. Read updates, subscribe to threads, and friend and promote others as appropriate. Think of Good Reads as your handshake and other, more widely used social networks, as your opportunity to really get to know your readers — this can be both a blessing and a curse, however.

And remember; never be afraid to ask your fans to help you promote your latest work. You might be surprised at how many folks are willing to help promote your book, without asking for a dime in return, just because they think you are pretty cool.

3

Good Reads Contests

Not only can you win books on Good Reads, but you have every opportunity to create contests and giveaways designed to help boost the hype about your book also. Create a few free giveaways, and ask the winners to review your book on the Good Reads site or on their blog. If it is a favorable review, promote it everywhere you can until the cows come home.

The most basic rule about marketing is that marketing is a numbers game. The more people who see your book for sale, the more your sales increase. Yes, it really is that simple. Contests and giveaways get people interested in your book because people love free stuff. Boost your contest numbers, and you will boost your sales.

4

Earn Fans through Reviews

Before investing in a book — even if that book is at a bargain basement price of $4.99 — avid readers will gnaw on meaty reviews from their peers. Make sure you have something delicious to give your hungry guests. The more stellar reviews you have on both the Good Reads site and elsewhere, the higher your sales will soar. Ask for reviews, and focus only on the good ones.

The love affair readers and writers have with words is not mutually exclusive. Readers want to read your book; they just might not know it yet. That is where you come in, and where Good Reads can help you fly.